The author has a passion for many things with sports (specifically Nebraska football) being the biggest. This blog is mainly about sports related topics but will mix in other aspects of life when the spirit moves.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Can the defense sharpen its teeth?

While Nebraska was decent defensively in 2011, it
was not the authoritative bunch that was on display in 2009 and to a lesser
extent 2010. Part of that dropoff can be attributed to the season-ending injury
to defensive tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) in Week 5.

However, the Husker defense was having issues even
before Crick was put on the shelf for the season. There were bright spots, most
notably in a 24-3 win over Michigan State and the second half dominance that
fueled a 34-27 come-from-behind win over Ohio State in addition to the unit’s
outstanding effort in a 20-7 win over Iowa.

Nebraska did finish pretty well (Top 40)
statistically but for much of the 2011 campaign, the Huskers were a pretty
average club. Nebraska finished 37th in total defense and 42nd in scoring
defense. The Huskers finished tied for 18th in passing defense and 34th in pass
efficiency defense.

However, the Huskers were tied for 72nd in
interceptions (with 10), tied for 84th in sacks (21), and 64th in rushing
defense. Nebraska also finished with a minus-1 turnover margin with 18
takeaways and had 19 giveaways. This tells me they need to get far more
pressure on opposing teams quarterbacks to force mistakes that lead to
turnovers, and to increase sack numbers.

In Bo Pelini’s four seasons as head coach, there
have been some dominant defensive players such as Ndamukong Suh, LaVonte David, Alfonzo Dennard, Prince
Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Phillip Dillard and Larry Asante. Only David was not on
the roster for the Huskers 2009 defense that allowed only 10 points per game,
best in the nation.

The defense was probably the best
in the Big 12 in 2010, but a keen eye could see chinks in the armor. They had
difficulty stopping a mobile quarterback. They relied too much on their potent,
if inconsistent, offense to create plays.

In 2011, with Carl Pelini as defensive
coordinator, Nebraska’s defense failed the team when they needed them most. Wisconsin
and Michigan made the Husker defense look awful. In the Capital One Bowl loss
to South Carolina, the Husker defense failed at crucial times. Despite losing
key pieces like Crick, David and Dennard, 2012 has the potential to be a very good
year for the defense.

Of course, some would see the
coaching staff changes as a negative because change normally takes time to
adapt.

After defensive coordinator Carl
Pelini took the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, Bo Pelini promoted John
Papuchis from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. He also hired Rick
Kaczenski from Iowa to replace Papuchis on the defensive line. Kaczenski
brought with him an impressive resume that included All-Americans during his
time as defensive line coach for the Hawkeyes.

After Husker defensive backs
coach Corey Raymond accepted the same position at alma mater LSU, Pelini
scooped Terry Joseph from Tennessee to replace him. Joseph, cousin of former
Husker Mickey Joseph, coached a stellar Volunteer defensive backfield for three
years.

True, it takes time to get used
coaches and their approach but these changes might be the shot in the arm the
Huskers need. Kaczenski and Joseph inherit some pretty solid depth at their
respective positions.

There is no Crick, David or
Dennard but instead of leaning heavily on All-Americans, the Huskers will need
to rely on each other and the scheme. However, it never hurts to have a
game-changer.

Nebraska Will Repay the Favor to Wisconsin

Taylor Martinez is looking to perform better vs Wisconsin in 2012.

Almost
exactly a year after Nebraska was humiliated in front of a national audience in
their Big Ten opener, Taylor Martinez and the Cornhuskers will be better
prepared to face a Wisconsin team without standout quarterback Russell Wilson
and a defense not as talented or salty as they were in 2011. They will still
have to stop running back Montee Ball, but, without a deep threat and somebody
to throw it and take the pressure off the running backs, Nebraska will sell out
and blitz over and over again.

The
beating might not be as bad as the wood the Badgers laid to the Huskers in
Madison in 2011, but it will be bad. Nebraska's defense will show up in a big
way, Rex Burkhead will have over 150 yards rushing, and the Huskers will win by
more than three touchdowns to start off their second season in the Big Ten with
a bang.

Taylor Martinez Will Complete More Than 65% of His Passes

Let's
face it. Taylor Martinez's throwing motion reminds you more of Tim Tebow than
it does any other quarterback in college of the NFL. If anything, this
prediction is the hardest of all to imagine. The guy just doesn't throw very
well or with any sort of accuracy.

There
is good news, though. Martinez is dedicated to keeping his starting job. We
know this because he spent his spring break not schmoozing with girlfriend and
Nebraska volleyball player Lauren Cook but in California with a throwing expert
(by the way, what's up with Nebraska football and volleyball players dating? I
just heard Roy Helu and Dani Mancuso are getting married).

The
best news on the planet for Taylor Martinez: the Nebraska running game will
take pressure off him in the pocket. With Rex Burkhead, Ameer Abdullah, and
Aaron Green forming a formidable backfield, Martinez will have more time to sit
back and go through his reads on play action and straight passing plays. As he
does this, he will make more throws on target and will complete 65% of his
passes in 2012.

Rex Burkhead Will Win the Heisman Trophy

Rex Burkhead will run all the way to New York in 2012.
Eric Francis/Getty Images

Sexy
Rexy.

He's
Rexy and He Knows It. Heard the songs? If not, look them up on YouTube.

They
are about Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead. My favorite line comes from
"Sexy Rexy": "Calves defined like dictionaries, breaks through
tackles on his carries."

In
early odds, Burkhead is at 20-1 to win the Heisman Trophy. If you ask Nebraska
fans, or anybody in the Big Ten footprint, that is far too low. Burkhead is the
unquestioned leader of the team. He is the most popular player in Nebraska
football since Brook Berringer. He is as much of an unstoppable machine on the
field as he is a charismatic, humble man off it. Burkhead is what legends are
made of at Nebraska, and the Heisman Trophy will be his crowning achievement.

What
can Burkhead do on the field? Well he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and just
over 104 yards per game in 2011. That's not bad. He will have to do better than
that to have national recognition, though. His 21 catches for 177 yards and two
touchdowns are nice. However, more than anything, he will need sophomores Ameer
Abdullah and Aaron Green to step up and spell him when the time arises.

He will
need big, and I mean BIG, performances in national games. He will need to run
roughshod over Wisconsin and Michigan. He will need to will the team to
victory.

More
than anything, though, he needs the team to win. Nebraska needs to win the Big
Ten Legends Division. He then needs to pull an Ndamukong Suh from the 2009 Big
12 Championship Game and just tear apart whoever Nebraska plays in the 2012 Big
Ten Championship Game.

Nebraska
can do that. They have the talent. Rex can as well.

Nebraska Will Win the Big Ten

This Trophy Will be in Lincoln in December.

Nebraska
sort of stumbled their way through the 2011 football season. They were beaten
badly by Wisconsin and Michigan and upset at home by Northwestern. They managed
to overwhelm Michigan State and Iowa and also hung on at Penn State. Throughout
the season, though, it felt as though they couldn't get their feet under them.
In 2012, that won't be the case.

Nebraska's
offense won't be forced in so many down-and-distance situations as they were in
2011 as a deep, talented offensive line will keep a Taylor Martinez and Rex
Burkhead-led attack moving. Martinez has a new throwing motion that will help
him improve on his 57% accuracy, a bevy of speedy, talented receivers to throw
to, and the always steady Burkhead behind him. In short, this will be the best
and most balanced offense Nebraska has seen since 1999.

The
defense is going to come together and obliterate opposing offenses. Blitzes
will come from every angle, the defensive line will push offensive lines back
into their quarterbacks, and running backs will find no lanes to run. In short,
this will be a defense to be feared.

The
schedule doesn't do them any favors, but there is no team outside of Michigan
as talented as they were in 2011. The Huskers get the Wolverines at home the
last weekend in October. They welcome Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota to
Lincoln as well. They will have to battle past Ohio State and Northwestern on
the road in consecutive games.

The
Huskers won't have to win every game on their schedule to win the Legends
Division, but they must avoid trip-ups in Evanston, East Lansing, and Iowa City
to advance to the Championship Game. The good news is Nebraska will win the
games they need to and will not lose to anybody they shouldn't. On December 1,
the Nebraska Cornhuskers will beat the winner of the Leaders Division and will
claim their first Conference Championship since 1999.

Begin
Slideshow

Keep ReadingNebraska returns a majority of their starters on defense,
but they will have a new defensive coordinator in John Papuchis who replaced
Carl Pelini after he departed for FAU. Papuchis has instantly become the
youngest defensive coordinator in the Big Ten and it'll be interesting to see
how the players respond to the energetic coach.

He’s been on
the Nebraska staff since 2008 and worked with the defensive ends and special
teams before replacing Pelini. The defensive schemes should remain the same for
the most part, but with a new guy calling the shots, it will be something that
bears watching.